The owner of Parlez, a pub and restaurant in south London, hoped that sales this Christmas would have bounced back fully from last winter’s COVID-19 lockdown. Instead, every one of this week’s group reservations canceled their bookings.
The U.K. is facing a record-breaking wave of infections, with Chris Whitty, the chief medical officer for England, warning on Wednesday that "phenomenal” case numbers mean doctors and nurses will inevitably get sick. That leaves businesses such as Parlez pessimistic about what comes next.
Restrictions already in place, including advice to work from home, mean those who might have been comfortable meeting up for a drink are now thinking twice, owner Matt Ward said. Business at another of Ward’s pubs, the White Horse in south London’s Brixton neighborhood, has taken a hit too.